I Am Become
by Scytherageroses
Summary: Steve Fox takes in a depressed and despondent Lei Wulong. Filled with misery and despair, counting the days since he's lost his beloved partner, dumped, suspended, and alone, Steve and Hwoarang are at a loss of what to do, of how to save him. That is, until Hwoarang gets a bright idea...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Lei Wulong snapped out of a nightmare, nearly jumping out of his skin as he slept on the couch at Steve Fox's apartment. He had been dumped recently, kicked out the house he shared with his live-in girlfriend after she revealed that she had been cheating on him with his assistant.

In his sorrow and depression, his job was also affected, and he had been placed on suspension.

With no where left to turn, Steve Fox picked him up off the floor of his office and allowed him to live with him.

One day turned into a month.

It wasn't that Lei wasn't a gracious house guest; no, he helped out with chores, he made dinner, he also helped with bills, as much as his unemployment had offered. And he lent Steve an ear to listen with, whenever Steve felt doubtful about the way his life was going.

Sure, Steve was a world champion boxer, but this wasn't without its merits. The Mafia was once after him, his own mother tried to kill him, and when he confronted her, she simply denied she was his mother, despite the DNA evidence. He never knew who his father was-Steve was not of natural birth; he was a Zaibatsu test tube baby, created by the violation of his mother, Nina Williams.

A near assassination and then denial by your own mother, then finding out you're a freak...

In a way, the two understood each other. Lei helped Steve during all this, helped him discover who was after him, tried to catch his killer, and also helped him discover his Zaibatsu roots. He also remembered being there for Lei when Lei's partner, Bryan Fury was killed.

Lei was despondent.

He remembered Lei cried all the time, while holding Bryan's green jacket. The jacket was given to him by Bryan on a cold rainy night when Lei forgot his own coat at home. The silly man...

Bryan would have done anything for Lei...he smiled at his partner, placing the jacket over his shoulders, even if he knew he'd be cold. It didn't matter, all that mattered was that Lei was alright.

Lei would have done anything for Bryan.

Instead...he had him killed.

Lei's mistake, he followed the dark rumors about Bryan Fury, about drug trades, about everything.

Flying bullets.

Rain.

Screaming.

Crying.

Lei ran through the hail of bullets, the gun fire blasting in his ears, heaving as he raced through the cold air. His throat raw from crying Bryan's name, from all his apologies. His hands were numb, tears like icicles down his cheeks as he held Bryan's lifeless body in his arms, drenched in his blood.

He couldn't go back to work after that. Laying in Bryan's office, on the floor, crying, he knew he looked pathetic, but he didn't care. He and Bryan formed such a bond...such a loving, caring bond, he thought nothing could get in between them. Brothers-In-Arms, Comrades, whatever you wanted to call it, Lei cared so deeply for Bryan, and to have it taken away by his own mistakes...

Laying on Steve's couch, even now, all he could think about was Bryan.

It happened two years ago.

In his despair, he contemplated suicide.

Steve and Hwoarang kicked his door open and Hwoarang ripped the knife out of his hand, becoming slashed himself. In desperation, Steve punched Lei and knocked him out. When Lei woke up, he didn't speak. He said nothing, only stared at the wall. Steve said that Bryan wouldn't want this. That he would have wanted Lei to be happy. No matter how much Bryan had changed from a star-eyed rookie to a violent, cynical bastard.

Hwoarang and Steve refused to leave Lei alone. No matter how much Lei protested. No matter how much he cried in the night, crying out for Bryan to hold him.

Hwoarang wondered if Steve would lose himself like this if he were to die.

Steve assured him that'd be strong, but...he didn't know.

No one had ever seen Lei Wulong like this.

A wild, passionate man.

Yet, losing the other part of his soul..his best friend, the one man that meant everything to him. Even beginning a relationship didn't stop the horrible feelings. He couldn't relate to her. Lei was happy to have someone around, but they didn't connect. He sold his condo in Chinatown, the one he nearly killed himself in, and moved in with her. She tried her best. She tried her damn best. Tried to relate to a man who was depressed and contemplated suicide with every waking moment because he couldn't bear to be without the other part of his soul.

She turned to another.

She could no longer stand Lei Wulong.

And so she kicked him out.

Steve Fox took him in.

Saved him.

Or tried his fucking best.

Sometimes, in his delirium, Lei would call Steve, Bryan. He knew Steve Fox wasn't Bryan Fury, but he took care of him as if he were.

Like the one time Lei accidentally locked himself out of his house. Him and Bryan went out to Yakitoris for drinks and karaoke. Lei lived right across the street. He forgot his keys. Bryan knew he have to drive Lei back to his place, so he stayed sober for his sake. Bryan let him stay the night, and even made him breakfast in the morning; hot oatmeal and buttered toast, just the way he liked it.

Steve didn't offer him hot oatmeal.

But he gave him a place to stay.

For that, he was thankful.

But now, it's been a month. Lei Wulong never meant to stay this long.

Hwoarang got up first.

Seven AM.

He got out of bed and did his morning routine. Before he made his way to the bathroom, he looked down the stairs. Steve moved his couch close to the top of the stairs to keep an eye on Lei. Hwoarang looked down, his eyes met with Lei's open eyes. Though their eyes met, Hwoarang knew Lei wasn't look at him. He didn't know what Lei's eyes were looking at, but it didn't matter.

He turned back, and went into the bathroom, preparing himself for a shower, when the door opened, and Lei walked inside.

"Lei! What are you doing?" Hwoarang asked, covering himself up with a towel.

Lei stared at him.

His eyes completely soulless.

"Lei...answer me, damn it." Hwoarang said, reaching a hand to his cheek, lightly tapping it, to keep him awake. Lei sighed. "I'm sorry. You looked at me like you wanted to talk...I'll leave."

"No, you can stay." Hwoarang said,"but can you wait for me to get naked and get into the shower?" "Yeah, sure...sorry." Lei said, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks as he turned, while Hwoarang got into the shower. He pushed the thick blue curtain over and called out for Lei, who walked in the bathroom again.

"Did you sleep well, Lei?" he asked. "No." Lei responded.

"Of course not.." Hwoarang said to himself, hanging his head down in the waters. Steve did Lei a favor by allowing him to live here, but it was becoming too much...

"Lei.."

"I know I'm a bad couch-mate...I know I impose on you two. That's why I want to leave." Lei said. "We can't leave you alone, Lei Wulong, you know this. You'll go crazy again missing that man of yours, and you'll try to kill yourself again..." Hwoarang growled.

"I am not weak, Hwoarang..." Lei retorted,"do you think me so? Do you think, I'm unable to stand to be alone, to stand on my own two feet?"

"You haven't proven otherwise." Hwoarang said.

Lei was silent.

The shower shut off, and Lei turned to leave the room. He then went back down the stairs and back to the couch, sighing as he lay back down, throwing the blanket over himself.

Hwoarang shook the access water off himself, wrapping a towel around his waist, and returned to Steve's bedroom, where the blond had just got up. "Steve.." he said. Steve smirked, his eyes dancing over Hwoarang's wet and dripping form. "Don't look at me like that, you pervert." Hwoarang snapped, clenching his towel.

"You know me, luv..I can't keep my eyes off you..." Steve said, rising from the bed, wrapping his arms around Hwoarang and pulling him towards him. They were about to kiss, when Hwoarang placed his finger on his lips. "Not with Lei here.."

"He's asleep." Steve protested, trying to kiss Hwoarang again.

"No, he's awake. I spoke with him as I showered."

Steve sighed and pulled away.

"I have to go to see Baek. I promise I'll be back afterwards. When I come back, we have to have a serious conversation about what to do with Lei. He's well overstayed his welcome."

"I know he has." Steve sighed,"but I can't leave him alone. I'm terrified that he'll kill himself."

"Does he even know how much of a prick his partner was? There's a reason why things ended the way they did." Hwoarang said. Steve shook his head. "That doesn't matter to Lei. The heart chooses what the logic doesn't. Lei cared for Bryan any way that he was. I don't know much about their past, but I know it ended tragically for them...it's not something he can easily get over. Hwoarang...what do you think I'd do if I lost you?"

Hwoarang was silent.

Steve bit his lip and looked away.

"Forgive me. I shouldn't have said that."

"I'm gonna go now. I'll see you later on for lunch." Hwoarang said, as he changed, and left the room. Steve watched on with sad eyes.

No, truly, there was no answer to that. Steve and Hwoarang were not Bryan and Lei. Their tragic fate would not become theirs. Steve wouldn't let it happen. He loved Hwoarang too much to let him slip through his fingers.

As Hwoarang left the apartment, he looked back at Lei, who slept quietly. Only the furrow in his eyes spoke, it spoke of cries, spoke of sorrow and despair. Something Hwoarang didn't want to stick around for.

An hour later, Lei snapped awake again.

He choked, the name Bryan was stuck in his throat, and he coughed, reaching out, crying out with a groan when the vision of his dead partner left his dreamstate.

"Bryan!" he shouted.

"No...god...I'm lost...please...come back...don't...go.." he muttered, closing his eyes, trying to sleep again.

As he tossed and turned in the couch, under the warm comfort of the blanket, all he could think about was that night. The hail of gunfire, and the mistakes that stole his best friend from his life.

Steve could only watch on in despair, watching Lei fall deeper and deeper.

"I want to help. I want to save you, Lei Wulong...but I don't know what to do."

* * *

"What do we do about Lei...?" Hwoarang asked, when the two were at the Victoria Free House. Lei assured Steve that he'd be fine to go meet with Hwoarang for lunch. He said he would clean up around the apartment and make dinner later. Steve sighed and took another shot of his whiskey.

"I'm at a loss, Hwoarang. He's not getting any better. In fact, I think he's getting worse." Steve muttered. The two ordered two more shots, and Steve bit his lip, looking at the now rainy weather. "It's raining.." he added. "Don't worry, my motorcycle won't get that wet. I put a cover over it just in case. " Hwoarang said.

"Not that. Lei doesn't like it when it rains...it rained when Bryan died..." Steve said.

"It's rained hundred of times since..." Hwoarang said.

"It was a rainstorm the last time Lei tried to kill himself." Steve argued. "Steve, for fuck's sake, Lei will be just fine, please, can it be just about me and you right now? I've hardly had any time with you since Lei started sleeping over and...fuck, I miss you." Hwoarang said, reaching out for Steve's hand.

Steve stopped. He was about to jump out the seat and out the door, ready to run home, when Hwoarang took his hand.

"Steve...please."

"Hwoa.." Steve sighed, sitting back down,"of course. Just you and me today. I have to have enough faith in my friend...enough faith in Lei Wulong. Enough faith in you."

Hwoarang smiled and left his bench, taking a seat beside Steve, and curling into his arms. Steve embraced him, leaving a kiss on his cheek.

The two enjoyed a lunch together filled with laughter and drinks. When their food arrived, they took their time eating. Lei Wulong was an afterthought.

Lei watched the rain from behind the window.

He counted each rain drop on the glass as if he were counting the bullets that ripped through Bryan Fury's flesh.

"yāt..."

"yih.."

"sàam.."

"sei.."

Counting on and on, closing his eyes in despair.

He didn't even hear Steve and Hwoarang walk in through the door, and to the bedroom. Instead, he continued on, counting the rain.

"We have to do something, Steve." Hwoarang said, looking at him, watching as he hung his head low, his hands on the glass windows, clenching his fingers, leaving fingerprints on the glass. Steve watched on sadly, shaking his head. "Leave him alone..for now. I'll come up with a plan...something.."

He couldn't bear to see Lei like this anymore. Completely silent except for his harrowing screams at random, calling out for Bryan in the middle of the night, his tears, everything around him was falling apart. He lost his best friend, his home, his girlfriend, his job. What more could Steve Fox and Hwoarang do?

"Hey."

Steve turned to see Hwoarang at his laptop in his bedroom, calling Steve up. When Steve went into the room, he looked at Hwoarang and asked,"What's up?"

"I have an idea." the Korean said with a smirk. Steve held his breath.

That smirk only meant mischief...

"I can fix this, Steve. We can save Lei Wulong.."

* * *

This originally had a very different premise. I thought about using my OC and Steve together, in a more humorous tone, but ended up liking this better. Instead of making Lei seem like a free-loader in the original draft, I made him depressed, combining his stories in Tekken 4 and on. That and I always love to use the Steve/Hwoarang pairing. Music will do this to a writer's mind. I recommend listening to Hanging Garden while reading this, and that's the band I'll be using to influence a lot of this story.

So I hope you enjoy. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Sadness.

Melancholy.

Despair.

Misery.

Steve looked down at Lei who lay on his couch staring into nothing.

Inside, he wanted to scream.

There wasn't anything else he could do for Lei; he housed him, fed him, tried to keep him sane. Still, Lei screamed for his lost partner. He was restless because he was out of work. Heartsick from being dumped again. A trend that would start from the time he was left at the altar on his wedding day twenty years ago, till now, stuck on Steve's couch, waiting...just waiting..

"Steve..."

The blonde looked up, when he heard Lei's voice break through the silence.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.."

His voice was a quiet whisper.

"I wish...I wish I were better. I wish I were stronger..."

"Stop that. Lei, stop talking like that." Steve said, approaching the man on his couch, curled up in his own despair. "Stop talking like you're going to leave me."

"Leave? Where can I go? Well..maybe to hell..." he said to himself. Steve caught it and raised an eyebrow. "You think you're living in hell. The home I've given you, the roof I've let you stay under is hell..."

"Steve.." Lei said, looking into his blue eyes, suddenly coherent. "No. No, I'd never say that..I don't mean that. You've been so kind to me...I meant to say that-"

"I know what you mean." Steve sighed.

"I want to show my appreciation. You've done so much for me.." Lei said, almost pleading. Steve sighed once more, and turned back to his friend. "You don't have to do anything." he said, shaking his head. "Just..stay alive. It's all I ask." "Alright. That much I can promise." Lei said, wearing a weak smile.

A stray tear left from his eye, and Steve handed him a tissue, while walking towards the window.

"It's a nice, sunny day. Do you want to go out for a walk?" he asked. "..." Lei was silent at first. "Sure. Sure, Steve, let's go." Lei said. He began to rise from the couch, and then he added,"but first, can I take a shower?" "Sure." Steve replied, watching as Lei went upstairs.

"Wait! Lei!" he yelled, before a shout came from the bathroom.

Hwoarang was naked, leaving the shower when Lei walked in.

Hwoarang shrieked and grabbed the towel, wrapping it around his waist. "Damn it, Wulong! Don't you know how to knock?!" he yelled. Lei shielded his eyes from the dripping wet fighter, waiting for him to leave the room. "Sorry!" he yelled, closing the door.

"Yeah, I forgot to tell you Hwoarang was in there.." Steve sighed, watching as Lei covered his eyes as he stood in front of the door, his cheeks completely blushed in red. It was enough to put a smile on the blonde's face. "What? Why are you laughing at me?" Lei asked. "Because you look so cute when you're embarrassed like that." Steve replied. "I'm nearly 50 years old. I'm too old to be cute." Lei snapped.

"Bullshit. You still look 20 to me." Steve said with a wink.

"Hey! You better not be flirting out there, Fox!" Hwoarang yelled from behind the door. "Shut up, Hwoarang! And when are you going to be finished, some other people need to use the bathroom too!" the blonde yelled. "You're one to talk, Steve, you're the one who took thirty minutes in here the other night after we ate at that pizza place around the corner!" the red head yelled.

Lei just looked back and forth as the two argued.

"It's not my fault I had a bad reaction to the pepperoni!" Steve yelled,"and why are you eating pizza anyway, aren't you lactose intolerant?" "You idiot. I had a bowl of pasta and a salad." Hwoarang said. "Oh yeah..." Steve said in recognition. "Besides, you looked like a fucking fool checking out and scraping your pizza. What were you looking for anyway?" Hwoarang asked.

"You know I'm apprehensive about pizza ever since I last ate it at Marshall and Paul's place." the blonde replied.

"What happened at Marshall and Paul's place?" Lei asked.

Steve was silent.

"Marshall put laxatives in Steve's pizza and he-" Hwoarang replied before Steve snapped,"Hwoarang! Lei doesn't need to know the rest...it was just.."

He looked away in embarrassment.

"Whatever. It happens to the best of us." Lei said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

A few more seconds went by when Steve yelled,"Hwoarang, what are you doing in there? Lei needs to take a shower, too!" "Hey, can't a guy piss without being pestered by his naggy wife?!" Hwoarang yelled. "Why is it taking you this long to piss? And WIFE?!"

"I am not your wife! I am not the woman in the relationship!" he yelled.

"You take it from me. I think that makes you total wifey material." Hwoarang said with a smartass smirk. Steve couldn't see it, but he knew he was wearing it. "Hey, I fuck you too, Hwoa." Steve snapped,"oh god, I'm sorry, Lei."

"You know, if you two keep arguing like this, maybe I should just go to Sayaka's house. She'll let me use her shower. And maybe make me dinner. You know how those Greek women are, they're always cooking." Lei said.

"She lives almost a half hour from here...you'll be wasting your time." Steve said,"besides, she's at work now." "Right.." Lei said,"I mean with how long we've been waiting, I would have been showered and clean by now if I went over there."

Suddenly the door opened and Hwoarang ran out screaming,"We're going to Sayaka's house?!"

"No. No, Hwoarang. We're not going to Sayaka's house. She's at work. And we can't just show up unannounced, she'll get pissed off." Steve said.

Lei took the opportunity of a distracted Hwoarang and ran into the bathroom, locking the door.

"Yo! I wasn't done in there!" Hwoarang yelled. He sighed and then turned to Steve, clutching the towel around his waist. "Besides, pissing off Sayaka is what I do best...please can we go, Steve?"

"I don't know why you're always bothering that poor girl.." Steve sighed,"one of these days, she's going to break your legs, or worse." "Well..it can't get any worse than her screaming while throwing things at me. At least she hasn't taken swings at me yet." Hwoarang said with a smirk.

The two left the room while Lei continued with his shower.

"So. What's this idea you have, Hwoa?" Steve asked when the two entered the dining room. "I'll tell you at lunch. I just texted Sayaka and she's done work, so I asked if we could meet her somewhere downtown. If that's ok." Hwoarang replied. Steve was silent. "What?" Hwoarang asked.

"I just told Lei we'd go for a walk first." the blonde replied.

"It's ok, Steve. You can go see her. I'll join with you two later." Lei said, coming down the stairs. "Lei!" Steve said with surprise. "Ah. Sorry. I should have said something before sneaking up on you two. But yeah. Go ahead. I know you haven't seen her in a while." Lei said with a smile.

"Alright. Do you have enough money to get into town? I'm going to drive." Steve said. "You mean you finally learned how to drive on the right side of the road now?" Hwoarang asked. "Fuck off." Steve snapped, glaring at his lover, causing Hwoarang to laugh. "Yeah, I'll be fine." Lei said, laughing at the two.

If there was anything that could keep a smile on his face, it would be Steve and Hwoarang. They got along so well. Not only as a couple terribly in love, but as best friends, too.

Just like he and Bryan.

Except Bryan wasn't that much of a smartass...he was, but not on Hwoarang's level. He was shy and bashful, but once he opened up, he was hilarious and always kept Lei laughing.

He watched as the two left, memories flooding his mind, of when he and Bryan would leave the precinct together in Hong Kong and go out for a celebratory dinner.

 _"because you survived today."_

 _"because you haven't left me yet.."_

"Because you killed me." Lei suddenly said to the closed door.

"No! No, I didn't kill you, Bryan! I tried to save you! I tried to stop them! I held you as you died, I was covered in your blood and my tears...and my regret..."

He fell to his knees and stared at the door, almost, as if he were waiting for Bryan to walk through it.

* * *

"If you call me one more time, Hwoarang, I'm going to rip out your hair.." Sayaka Swano sighed, hanging up on Hwoarang. Besides, it was illegal to drive and talk on the phone. And he had already called her four times in the past five minutes. She agreed to meet Steve and Hwoarang at Le Peg on Race Street and she was driving down Delaware Ave after leaving work on 34th Street.

She didn't know why she answered every time..

"Fuck you!" she yelled when the phone rang again. This time, she chose to ignore it. Again, it rang. "Doesn't Steve stop him at this point...does he know how annoying his boyfriend can be?" she snapped. Turning up the radio to the sounds of Scandinavian doom metal, she continued driving.

She didn't even see the stop sign..

"Yo what the fuck!"

Sayaka suddenly stopped her car when a man stood in front of it, holding his pounding heart. She gasped, holding her hand to her now-pounding heart when she looked at the man in front of her.

He was tall, pale skinned.

Greyish hair.

Ice cold blue eyes.

A deep scar down his left eye.

The man wore a green jacket and a black tank top along with greenish pants with a bullet belt around his waist and heavy black boots. Glaring at her, he snapped,"What the fuck, lady!" "What are you talking about? You're the idiot who walked in front of my car!" she yelled back in heavily accented Swedish.

The man looked at her incredulously.

"You. You ran a stop sign!" he yelled.

"What?" she asked, looking behind her. "Oh my god.."

The man moved out of the way and she drove forward, pulling over to the side of the road as traffic passed them.

She sat at the driver's seat, holding her hand to her head when the man came to the side of her car. "You ok there?" he asked. "Huh? I mean other than the fact that I ran a stop sign and nearly killed you.." she sighed.

"Whatever. I'm strong. It probably wouldn't have killed me." he said softly, placing his hand on the door of the open window. She was silent and turned down the radio. "What's that you're listening to?" he asked. "Spotify. It's my doom metal mix. It's music for depressed people." she replied.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Daylight Dies. American band." she said.

"Hmm..interesting. Maybe I'll give it a listen sometime." he said.

"I should get going. I'm going to meet my friends for lunch...I've left them waiting long enough. Again, sir, I'm really sorry." she said with a sigh.

"It's alright. Go on. By the way, my name is Bryan." he said, holding out his hand.

"Sayaka." she said, taking his hand,"see you around."

Quietly, she drove away, not even bothering to put her music back on. She looked at her mirror, the man's name was Bryan...he was watching her. And suddenly. He was directing traffic, standing in the middle of the street, halting all traffic until she pulled away and merged back into the lane. "What the hell is he doing..." she said, shaking her head.

He smirked and waved as she drove away, quietly crossing the street, ignoring all the screams and curses from the drivers. Yes, he very well could have killed them, but he chose not to. He was surprised the girl didn't notice all the cracked skin on his knuckles from his previous fight. Or the knife that was practically sticking out of his pocket..

Regardless.

He was on a mission and couldn't stop for distractions.

There was someone he was looking for..


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"I've been here for three minutes and I already hate you."

Sayaka glared at Hwoarang with her arms crossed. In the time span of three minutes, he had already propped his feet on her chair, put his finger in her water, and took away her food menu. "Remind me why I'm not throwing you into traffic now? Need I remind you that it's rush hour and there's tons of cars out there. If we're lucky, I can throw your body into the river over there."

Hwoarang merely smiled.

"Traffic jam. All these cars aren't going anywhere, which means I'm not going anywhere, which means more time to piss you off."

Steve could only watch, looking back at forth at the two, bracing himself for whatever the Swede's retaliation would be.

Sayaka groaned, grabbing Hwoarang by the collar and shouted in his face. "I will break your legs and bring you back to Baek in a body bag!"

"I love you, too, baby." Hwoarang simply said, trying to kiss her. "Don't you dare." she snapped.

"Will you two get married already?" Steve asked with a smile. "Ewww. Noooo way." she exclaimed,"besides, he's your boyfriend. I don't know how you put up with his shit everyday."

"I guess I'm a fool in love." Steve said, giving Hwoarang a goofy smile. "And I love my darling Stevie.." Hwoarang said, making kissy faces at Steve. Sayaka rolled her eyes and said,"Ugh. I think I'm going to be sick."

The two men were quiet, until Steve spoke up,"So you're still single, eh?" He braced himself when Sayaka glared at him, but she only replied with,"Yes. Is that a problem?" "No, no, of course not!" Steve said, stammering as sweat began to form in his brow.

No, he did not want to be on her warpath...not when he was already dealing with a depressed Lei Wulong, and a very flirtatious Hwoarang.

"I told you, after _jerkimus maximus_ , I'm never dating again." she said, looking at her menu again. "But what are you going to do about sex?" Hwoarang asked. "Who needs it? If it's that bad, I'll just read yaoi porn and-"

Before she could speak more, their waiter arrived and took their orders. Hwoarang thought about tricking Steve and ordering him pizza, but he declined, and instead, he ordered a burger and fries. Steve ordered a salad and soup, while Sayaka ordered a ham and cheese sandwich.

"Anyway. Speaking of sex, when's the last time you've been laid? You two look miserable as all hell." she began.

Both Steve and Hwoarang looked at each other, then back at her, in surprise.

"You can tell?" Steve asked. "Yeah. You don't have that kind of...glow, I guess that's how you describe it..like..there's something that's bothering you." she said.

Once again, the two looked at each other.

"Uh...yeah, there is." Hwoarang said, scratching the back of his head,"Steve, if you will."

Sayaka looked at the two with trepidation, ready to dart out of her chair in dramatic fashion at what Steve was about to say. Even though she didn't believe in love for herself anymore, she wanted her friends to be happy. And Steve and Hwoarang was her favorite couple, she wanted them to be together forever.

"We haven't been able to be intimate for almost two months. I mean..we cuddle and snog, but it's only enough to keep us quiet. You see...Lei Wulong has been living with me for two months-"

"Lei Wulong?!" Sayaka shouted. Both men cringed at her loud voice. "Yeah...Lei Wulong. That cop you have a thing for." Hwoarang said, causing Sayaka to throw her knife at him. He shouted and ducked underneath it, causing the knife to go flying into the nearby street and nearly hit a car.

"I don't have a thing for anyone." she snapped.

"Anyway...Lei's been depressed for a while. It's like...everything is crashing down on him. It's the two year anniversary of his partner's death, his girlfriend left him and kicked him out of the apartment, he's suspended from his job..

"Oh my god..." she said.

"I...found him in his partner's office, he tried to kill himself, so I told him he couldn't be left alone. And that he needed to come live with me. That was a struggle..."

"Ok...repeat all this? His partner...who is his partner? Or was..?" she asked.

"I think he said his name was Ryan. American guy." Hwoarang said,"from the way Lei described him, it seemed they were really close." "It's been two years, and he's still not over it. Every night, he screams for him. Lei just stares at the ceiling, he sleeps on the couch, it's like he's staring right through you. It's scary. He doesn't smile...he's so morbid...I mean, this isn't the Lei Wulong we all know...and it's tearing me in two. I just...don't know what to do with him. I feel nothing I do is enough." Steve said.

Sayaka looked away.

"Losing someone you care for is never easy. Especially if it's still fresh like this...two years means nothing in the grand scale of things. I suppose to Lei, it still feels like it was yesterday. He must have truly loved this guy..." she said,"I know this pain, and I'm never going to recover from it...the most we can do is try to live with it."

"Although, I have to admit, our situations are different. He and Ryan were close. My dead lover beat me, and so our relationship fell apart. He still cries...while...I wish things ended differently. But..I refuse to shed another tear over him."

She sighed. Going back to that relationship wasn't something she wished to do, and so she tried to change the subject. Besides, everyone heard the story already, it wasn't anything new-her boyfriend was captured and turned into a monster by the forces of Shadaloo, and as he became abusive...

She shook her head.

"So...what do we do about Lei?" she asked.

"I'm so fucking frustrated, I don't know what to do anymore...I want to be with Hwoarang, I want Lei to be ok, I'm afraid that every time I turn my back, he'll end up dead on my living room floor...I want to scream, I want to tear my hair out, I just...I don't know what to do.." Steve sighed,"I just...don't want him to be sad anymore."

"That won't happen." Sayaka said sternly, causing both men to look at her.

"Depression just doesn't come and go. Sadness sticks with you through everything. The truth is, he might not ever get over this."

As she stole the last fry from Hwoarang's plate. Retaliation for putting mayonnaise on the last piece of her sandwich, of which the thrown piece ended up on Steve's plate.

"I feel bad for Lei. I didn't know this was happening to him...I've only met him once, but he was so nice.."

"Was that when he cited you for underage drinking by the penitentiary?" Hwoarang asked. She nodded. "It was Halloween! That's like...the place to go..then you go to the cemetery nearby for the after-party. Apparently Lei caught wind of the party because that bimbo Laura Matsuda couldn't keep her mouth shut and he followed us into the cemetery. I got a ticket, and she got a ticket for serving a minor..I was sixteen at the time. We really should have just gone to Ken Masters' party. I mean, she wanted to fuck him and...he was just going through a divorce..."

"Lei let me off easy. He ticketed me, but pulled me aside a few minutes later and ripped it up, so long that I didn't do it again."

"So...did you do it again?" Steve asked. Sayaka nodded. "But this time, in Cody Travers' apartment in Metro City. We were dating..or well, we never made it official, like two years after that, my eighteenth birthday, we went out drinking. It wasn't like Lei was going to catch us there."

"Cody Travers...you dated him?" Hwoarang asked. "You idiots know I did." she snapped. "That low-life piece of trash...and he's the one you're still not over?" he asked. "Watch it, Hwoarang. I don't talk about your relationships, don't talk about mine." she snapped,"and maybe I'm not. Maybe I'll never be over him. No matter how much he disappoints me, maybe I still miss all the fun we had. Maybe I miss...everything."

Steve sighed.

"Steve. You have anything smart to say?" she growled.

"No." the blonde replied.

Angrily, she grasped her glass and nearly broke it, until Hwoarang took her hand, stopping her. "Hey. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit a sensitive note there." "Some wounds are still fresh no matter how much time goes by. Lei will never see his partner again, Cody will never love me, but life goes on, right? It's not fair. Why do people who do things right suffer the most in the end? What did Lei do to deserve burying his friend? What did I do to deserve getting punched by my ex...strangled...thrown against the wall...laying on the floor until I nearly bled to death.."

She shook her head. "I don't want to talk anymore. I'm leaving."

"Sayaka, you don't have to go. Please. Stay with us." Hwoarang said, reaching out for her hand. "No." she said, pulling her hand back from his. "I'm sorry. It's been a lovely lunch...but I have to leave."

When she left, both men stared at each other sadly.

"I fucked up." Hwoarang said. "No you didn't.." Steve said, wrapping an arm around him as they walked back to Steve's car. "I always do things to fuck everything up.." Hwoarang said,"why couldn't I keep my mouth shut?" "It's alright, you were fine to speak up. I'm not the biggest fan of that bloke either...it's not healthy for her to be so hung up over him."

"You're right, it's not..." he agreed.

Steve nodded and said,"Alright. Let's get back to Lei." Hwoarang nodded, and took Steve's hand.

Back at the parking lot, Sayaka gripped the steering wheel in her car and tried not to cry. Beside her was a ripped up photo of her and her ex, one she ripped into pieces. "There you go ruining my life again...it's bad enough I can't forget you..not when I find old pictures of us in my glove compartment as I'm reaching for my flask...no...I promised I wouldn't-"

"Hey, hey, miss!"

Sayaka jumped when she saw someone approach her car, and she quickly reached for the knife she held beside her.

The figure, a man, jumped away, holding up his hands to show that he was harmless.

"It's you...that weird guy I almost hit.." she said, looking closely at him.

"Bryan. My name is Bryan." the man said.

He wore a black tank top and green pants, missing the jacket and bullet belt from before, but still looking nonetheless intimidating what with his ice blue eyes, pale skin and scars on his face. Those eyes, however, as intimidating as they were, also wore a degree of concern.

"Bryan." she said.

"What do you want?" she asked. "I don't know...I saw you stomping angrily to your car and I thought I'd come over and ask why you're so upset..." he replied timidly. "What's it to you...you don't even know me." she snapped. As she got back into her car, he leaned on the door, closing it for her.

"You're right. But you're the only familiar face I know in this city. I guess it's just a coincidence that I saw you here. Well...I suppose I should let you go do whatever it is you do and...maybe I'll see you around." he said with a sigh.

"I don't think that's going to happen, Mr. Bryan." she said. "Fury." he said. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Sorry?" she asked. "Fury. My last name is Fury." he said.

"Ok...Bryan Fury...well...that's not a name you hear often. I suppose a scary looking fellow like you would have a scary sounding name, too."

She started the car.

"You said you'd see me around. I'm holding you to that." he said.

"Yeah, I don't think so, Mr. Fury." she said.

"Why not? Am I too scary? Or what is it?" he asked. "I'm not afraid of you, if that's what you mean. I mean it as, nice people don't come into my life often, and when they do, they leave right away. Me nearly hitting you, you coming here to check on me, it's real nice and all, but I'm not going to see you again. Goodbye."

And with that, she drove away, leaving Bryan behind to wave at the disappearing car.

"And little does that lovely girl know...I read all her data. Doctor Swano.."

To his surprise, however, and near shock, he read the name Lei Wulong in her database...


End file.
